Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers

Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: E-galley
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Pages: 256
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / Fountain Bookstore
Description: Goodreads
After years of boredom in her rural South Carolina town, Maria is thrilled when her father finally allows her to visit her estranged artist mother in New York City. She’s ready for adventure, and she soon finds herself immersed in a world of rock music and busy streets, where new people and ideas lie around every concrete corner. This is the freedom she’s always longed for—and she pushes for as much as she can get, skipping school to roam the streets, visit fancy museums, and flirt with the cute clerk at a downtown record store.

But just like her beloved New York City, Maria’s life has a darker side. Behind her mother’s carefree existence are shadowy secrets, and Maria must decide just where—and with whom—her loyalty lies.

Supergirl Mixtapes is a deftly written coming-of-age tale encompassing everything a proper coming-of-age tale should have. It’s got family drama aplenty, just the right amount of romance, and (of course) one great big personal epiphany. At 245 pages, it may be somewhat short, but it’s definitely not always sweet.

Maria Costello (as in Elvis) was born in New York City, but she’s spent the majority of her life in teeny Red Hill, South Carolina with her workaholic dad and iron-fisted grandmother. After a somewhat unexplained personal “incident,” Maria asks to move to New York City with her “artist” mother Victoria, whom she idealizes as a spontaneous, somewhat flighty, almost mystical creature, and her mother’s much-younger rocker boyfriend. The novel follows Maria’s time in the city as she learns more about her mother than she ever cared to learn as well as discovering just how much she can handle at the ripe old age of 16.

Supergirl Mixtapes takes place in 1997 (at least it does according to my research of when The Boatman’s Call by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds was released). The title already gets you in that 90s mood- I just love the sound of the word “mixtape.” Clearly, I am a huge fan of the 90s. I can always relate to an awkward girl who feels at home with a stereo, a teetering pile of records/tapes/CDs, and a set of those huge earmuff-esque headphones, because I was that girl in 1997. (Actually, I’m still that girl.) Maria lives and breathes music, mostly due to a series of Supergirl Mixtapes made with care by her best friend Dory and from the influence of her mom. While Dory tends to land more on the side of “angry girl music of the indie rock persuasion,” Victoria’s influences are late 70s/early 80s bands from the New York punk scene. Patti Smith’s heavily featured, along with Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Television, The Ramones, and even Joni Mitchell. Simply put, Supergirl Mixtapes is filled to the brim with music references spanning multiple decades, which I love. Also, I thought it was very interesting that, despite the 90s setting, Maria’s tale is pretty timeless. With the exception of a few mentions of Walkmans and portable CD players, it didn’t feel or sound outdated.

The solid talent of Meagan Brothers is the reason Supergirl Mixtapes soars rather than falls into the depths of clichéd despair. There’s excellent flow from one part to the next, with each scene building into the next with ease. It always felt like something was bubbling below the surface, and that slow plot burn succeeds gracefully. The reader should know what’s coming when it comes, but it falls apart in such a way that it isn’t disappointingly predictable. Brothers’ words are as brilliant as they are simple; the writing never gets in the way of the story. They complement each other perfectly. My favorite example of this is the scene at Gram’s place during the Smart Southern Kids party at NYU. The SSK converse and joke around like they actually know each other, and the reader falls right in line with them without feeling the least bit left out.

I would recommend this for anyone looking for an instant gratification read that doesn’t scrimp on plot or characterization, as well as fans of music-heavy books. I look forward to reading more by Meagan Brothers.

Author Insight: Publication without the Book

Would publication feel the same to you if there was no physical book to show for it?

"It depends on what you mean by the question. :-) At face value, I would answer no, because without a physical book, my journey simply would have been different. For example, I wouldn't have gone with my mom to stalk my book in the stores the first day it came out, and I wouldn't see it on the library shelves. Instead, I'd have spent more time promoting it through online channels. But if the question is actually about whether I think electronic publication is still 'real' publication, then the answer is yes. If a story is published, it's published, regardless of media or format. Now, if you're asking about whether self-publishing an ebook is the same thing as traditional publication, that's a whole 'nother story that we don't have time to get into here!" - Sarah Ockler, author of Bittersweet. 

"Surprisingly – since I'm someone who edits an online-only magazine! – it wouldn't feel the same.  I think when you're writing and working so much in the realm of the unreal – made-up worlds, made-up people, abstract words on a screen – realizing that you've made something real and physical can be this visceral, amazing kind of shock.  I spent a lot of time touching my ARCs when I got them.  When I get the real book?  I'll probably hug it for three days." - Leah Bobet, author of Above.

"I’m really platform agnostic. I’m about to release my third stand-up album and there’s never been a physical CD, it’s always just a download. So I guess I’m used to it. I’m more concerned with getting my story out there and consumed than how people do it." - Aaron Karo, author of Lexapros & Cons.

"No. I feel very differently about a physical book versus words on a screen.  It might be generational." - Ann Stampler, author of Where It Began.

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The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

Release Date: Feb. 7, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Pages: 288
Buy: Amazon / Book Depository / IndieBound
Description: Goodreads
Gemma can't believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma's heartbroken.

Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max's friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can't help thinking that Max likes her back--it's just too bad he's already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend's boyfriend?

Jennifer Echols does it again with her new character driven novel The One That I Want, which by the way has nothing whatsoever to do with Grease, the musical.  I have to say that I trust Jennifer one million per cent as a writer and she is my “go to girl” when I want a good romantic story hence the reason I picked this book up last night and READ IT IN ONE SITTING.  Not to mention the fact that she had me googling “hot Asian guys” for inspiration (you’ll see why).

First off the bat, I know nothing about American Football or majorettes (Gemma twirls a baton), I’m not really a sporty person and will often bypass any movie or book that is sports related but it didn’t really matter in this case and I still enjoyed the story.  I learnt this lesson when I watched the movie The Blind Side which I thought was about American Football but it was about much more than that.

Let’s talk characters and I’m going to start with Gemma’s best friend, Addison.   Addison is more of a frenemy than anything else, she is obviously insecure to the core, spoilt and selfish.   I desperately wanted Gemma to tell her to get lost and then I got mad with her when she didn’t but you know what?  Then I remembered a similar situation from my teenage years.  There was a girl who I thought was my friend but whenever we were around any boys, she would constantly put me down.  I think I may have even confronted her about it once.  The thing is, even though I knew what she was doing, we continued to hang around with each other because we were all each other had and so I had to admit that I totally got it.  Thankfully, eventually I got away from her as I’d had enough.  What I’m trying to say is that even though we all know it’s wrong and you shouldn’t have to put up with it, when you’re a teenager, sometimes you do put up with it until you wake up and smell the coffee.

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